Rossland author wins Kootenay based award

Darcee O'Hearn shows off her book series 'Legends of the Forest' last month in Rossland. O'Hearn was recently awarded the Richard Carver award at the Kootenay Literary Competition Awards in Nelson.

Rossland author Darcee O’Hearn recently was awarded the Richard Carver Award for her book series “Legends of the Forest.”

The award is given out at the Kootenay Literary Competition Awards Ceremony and Celebration on Jan. 18 in Nelson. The criteria for the award is firstly someone who represents the spirit of Richard Carver. O’Hearn explained that the author also had to be an small or independent publisher, could only have 1-3 books published, and had to live in the Kootenays.

O’Hearn also works in the communities, as an educator making a difference by teaching kids about our natural world and the importance of taking care of nature.

“I do this by visiting schools, taking kids on field trips, reading my books, encouraging literacy in all forms, encouraging them to use a nature journal,” O’Hearn said.

All the information is curriculum based, and she said it fit nicely into the school curriculum.

She does this through the Columbia Basin Environmental Educators Network.

She plans on doing a series of six for “Legends of the Forest.”

The first two books in the series, Leonard the Larch and Cedric the Cedar, have been lauded for their entertainment and educational value in teaching kids about nature.

The more recent addition, Cedric the Cedar, is all about firefighting and the importance of letting fires burn.

“They help clean the forest and they help plants trees grow, because of the enriched soils,” she said.

The third book, which she is working on now, is Wendy White Bark Pine. It talks about White Bark Pine trees and why they are a threatened species. She said she is still looking for an illustrator for third book.

O’Hearn can also be booked to do presentations and readings through Columbia Basin Environmental Educators Network. More info, and ways to purchase the books can be found on her website www.legendsoftheforest.ca.